A Republican governor of a Democratic state, Corbett has railed against the health law’s massive Medicaid expansion and omitted it from his proposed budget. But all around him, governors are opting in — including Republicans John Kasich just west of him in Ohio and Chris Christie just east in New Jersey.

One day later, Corbett confirmed he had recently requested a chat with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The subject: Medicaid expansion.

“The governor, I think, has been pretty clear in saying the door is closed but not locked,” said Charlie Gerow, a Republican consultant based in Harrisburg, Pa.

Corbett’s office says the meeting, which hasn’t been officially scheduled, doesn’t mean he’s going to change his mind on Medicaid. After all, he talked to HHS about state exchanges several times but still refused to set one up. Just a few weeks ago, he said expansion would be unpalatable without major changes to the overall Medicaid program.

The ingredients for a change of heart are in place: Pennsylvania lies between the bright-blue Northeast and the blue-collar Rust Belt. Five of six bordering state governors — including Kasich and Christie — are on board with expansion, and the sixth, West Virginia, is likely to opt in soon.

And Pennsylvanians turned out solidly for President Barack Obama in November.

State Sen. Vincent Hughes, a Democrat, says it’s sort of like being on a desert island.

“Pennsylvania is now essentially surrounded,” Hughes said on a call with reporters. “Every state around Pennsylvania has moved in this direction, and we’re standing out here by ourselves.”

Not to mention, Corbett’s favorability rating is bleak halfway through his term. Contenders are lining up to run against him. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, one of Obamacare’s biggest congressional allies, is a prospective candidate.

The pressure isn’t just political. More than 600,000 low-income Pennsylvanians would be in line for basic health coverage, according to several estimates. Of the states that have rejected expansion, only Texas and Georgia would cover more people. Pennsylvania also has prominent hospitals and medical schools in its population centers — Philadelphia and Pittsburgh — that would benefit.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell said it was “almost inconceivable” to envision Corbett passing up federal dollars to cover his low-income constituents.

“Gov. Corbett is not like Gov. [Bobby] Jindal and other governors appealing to the national right-wing base,” he said, referring to Jindal, who might seek the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. “The governor does not have national ambitions. More importantly, I believe Gov. Corbett, in the end, is a compassionate person. I think he’s got to do this.”